SIX IN 10 DIGITAL

LEADERS REPORT BEING UNABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH CHANGE BECAUSE OF A DEARTH OF THE

TALENT THEY NEED .

The situation is also getting worse as retention of key tech talent is becoming harder . Eighty per cent of digital leaders in smaller companies report that , post-pandemic , new life priorities amongst staff are making retention more difficult . Over a third globally admit they can ’ t keep key people as long as they would like , as they ’ re being lured away by the offer of more money .

Skills shortages in small companies are most acute in cybersecurity ( 39 %), Big Data / analysts ( 34 %), development ( 31 %) and DevOps ( 28 %).

How firms are responding

We ’ re finding that smaller companies ( and their larger counterparts ) are reacting in a number of ways . Firstly , they ’ re casting their recruitment net wider , considering candidates based further afield than they would have done before due to the new remote working model . Almost half of digital leaders say they ’ re widening their searches . And in parallel to this , they are developing new , attractive employee offers that reflect today ’ s hybrid working environment .

Secondly , companies are speeding up their recruitment and approval processes . They have to , because market movements are so fast . The most successful businesses are bold , confident and quick in what they offer the candidate – often holding a final interview within just a week of the first interview and making an offer as soon as possible after that . Those that are slower , and show less confidence in their candidate , increasingly lose out .

Thirdly , we would advise that businesses consider what really are the essential skills for a role . It is often easier , and quicker , to take someone who has the core skills and train them up on the ‘ desirable ’ skills , than to wait for someone who ticks absolutely every box .

Finally , our Digital Leadership Report found that over half of digital leaders have increased the amount of cross-training and upskilling for their staff . This makes sense . Investing in and developing your own people builds engagement , loyalty and career fulfilment .

The competition for tech talent may have reached new heights . The most agile , responsive and flexible businesses will undoubtedly be the ones best positioned to close the digital skills gap .

THE MOST

AGILE , RESPONSIVE AND FLEXIBLE BUSINESSES WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE THE ONES BEST POSITIONED TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL SKILLS GAP .

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